Cases

Smog & Soot: National Standards Review & Revision

Clients

American Lung AssociationEnvironmental Defense FundNatural Resources Defense CouncilSierra Club

Regional Office / Program

California OfficeWashington, D.C. Office

Case Overview

This 2003 lawsuit set the stage for limits on smog pollution from power plants and other sources. We negotiated deadlines with the Environmental Protection Agency to propose standards for ozone, a precursor to smog, by June 20, 2007. The EPA’s weak protections mean more pollution for our cities and neighborhoods.

Case Updates

July 21, 2026 In the News: San Francisco Chronicle

Trump administration illegally weakened air pollution protections, judge rules

Seth Johnson, Attorney, Washington, D.C., Office: “With all the pollution control technologies that already exist, as well as the ingenuity of American industry, there are plenty of ways to continue making progress and improving people’s lives.”

June 26, 2026 In the News: AP

Appeals court rejects Trump EPA bid to abandon rule restricting deadly soot pollution

Patrice Simms, VP of Litigation for Healthy Communities: “Clean air is not a luxury. The 2024 soot standard is a critical advancement for public health, projected to save thousands of lives every year.”

March 28, 2024 document

Communities intervene to defend national air quality standards from industry attacks

Health, environmental, and community organizations, represented by Earthjustice and Clean Air Task Force, filed to intervene in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent strengthening of an air standard for fine particulate matter pollution, finalized in February. This landmark standard is designed to protect public health and would address environmental injustices but is being challenged in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by major trade associations and 25 states.

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Case page created on June 18, 2007.